"I think that's something that he has to deal with," Houston said. "I can't speak for another person, but I think I know what he said he probably would have been better off keeping it to himself. You don't want to see it magnified. It's just very disappointing."

CHANEY CHALLENGED Knicks coach Don Chaney, who took over for the recently retired Jeff Van Gundy, acknowledged that this is not going to be the easiest job he has had.

"This is a good opportunity, but I've got to make the most of it and try to help this team the best way I can," Chaney said. "I think we've got some good things going right here, but we can also get a lot better. I think that now that we're starting to get healthy that the pieces might start coming together."